“Taking Madison to gymnastics. Hannah has pageant practice. Cory has a soccer game.” Her voice was low and her words clipped, as if it were a sin to show any kind of a drawl. Then her tone lowered even further. “It wouldn’t hurt to get your kids in some summer activities. Keeping kids busy prevents things like—” she gazed toward the boys—“spontaneous childishness. After all, Nathan is eighteen now. Shouldn’t he be—?” A horrible sound, like a pig rooting around in mush, cut Helen off. She gasped and guarded her pearls with her free hand. But it was only Nathan, attempting to eat the whipped
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